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Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Testimony Opposing Colorado Citizenship Test Bill

Today, I testified before the Colorado Senate Education Hearing, asking them to oppose and reject SB/HB-148, which would require that all high school students pass the citizenship test as a graduation requirement. Here is the text of my testimony:

My name is Michael Mazenko, and I’m an educator and
school administrator with nearly 25 years in education both here and abroad, in
public and private schools. I am speaking as a private citizen and on behalf of
SEEK, the grassroots group of parents and educators, and I am urging you to
reject the idea of a citizenship test as a graduation requirement. I am
not opposed to standardized tests – in fact, as an AP teacher, I teach to them.
But this bill is unnecessary and will do nothing to improve educational outcomes
for kids. On the surface, the test seems innocuous or even "a good
idea," but we must not diminish a student's entire academic body of work
to a single standardized test, regardless of subject. And, let’s be clear:
if you pass this bill, you are stating that a single test of civics knowledge
is equal in value to all other subjects combined. That is a sad dismissal of
the idea of a well-rounded education.

The problem with this bill is it naively and
mistakenly equates facts with knowledge. Colorado already requires students to pass
a government class, and a standardized test neither proves nor guarantees a person
is an informed citizen. Being able to cite the Mississippi River as the
country’s longest or knowing that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration will
not make citizens more informed voters. It's easy to argue that an educated
person should know the same facts about American government that aspiring citizens
do. But, what do those facts really prove about knowledge of citizenship and
government?

Our opposition is not simply about
"over-testing,” though that does create a slippery slope toward an
increasing battery of tests. The problem is the significance placed on this test.
No single test should be a graduation requirement. A student’s education
consists of numerous subjects and varied skills with thousands of hours of
class time and credits. And CDE has spent years developing the 2021
requirements that contain multiple pathways to demonstrate proficiency across
curricula. Placing one test above all that is ridiculous. This test is a symbolic
red herring that deceives the public into thinking passing the test will
guarantee "an educated electorate." It will not.

Taking a punitive approach that threatens kids with
no graduation if they don't pass a single objective test will not inspire a
love of country or a deeper understanding of government. Many students will memorize
the info for the test only to forget it a short time later. But this test could
negatively impact struggling students who could see their entire academic
record tossed aside over the inability to regurgitate facts. Many people forget
civics facts after they leave high school. Will you also mandate that adult
voters pass a refresher test every couple years to prove they are competent to
vote? If not, then this whole idea is hypocritical. Mandating the
Pledge of Allegiance does not make people love their country, and mandating a
citizenship test won’t either. Let’s inspire kids with civics knowledge, not
threaten them with it.

If you want to improve civics knowledge, you should
promote and fund programs like Model United Nations. You should promote and
fund debate classes because, let’s face it, debate kids are often the most
well-informed voters in the state. This bill does not promote democracy and
education, it’s not in the best interest of kids, and it should be rejected.

Overall, the hearing went well, and I believe the committee received a lot of insightful information from both sides to consider. I have to thank the committee for graciously receiving our comments and engaging in thoughtful discussion of the issue. Specifically, I want to thank Senators Andy Kerr, Nancy Todd, and Mike Johnston for their questions and comments. And I would like to thank Senators Kerr, Johnston, and bill sponsor Owen Hill for taking the time to speak with me and my son after the hearing. This was democracy in action, and for my son, that was the best civics lesson of all.

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About Me

Michael P. Mazenko is a school administrator and an AP English teacher in suburban Colorado. Originally from Illinois, he completed his BS in Secondary Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received an MA in English Language and Literature from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.
After earning his teaching degree in 1992, Michael traveled abroad and taught English in Taiwan for five years. He taught middle school English in the city of Chicago and high school English in Edwardsville Illinois before moving to Colorado in 2003. Michael has written commentary for the Denver Post for the past five years, serving as a Colorado Voices columnist in 2009.